Over the years there’s been a battle between the feminists and the neo-traditionalists. The former will tell you that staying at home causes depression; the latter will tell you that working causes moms too much stress. (via Healthland)

But there’s no black or white answer, according to a new report Working Mothers, Stay-At-Home Mothers, and Depression Risk by Margaret Usdansky and Rachel Gordon, who say that really, it’s all down to you.

The report was published for the Council on Contemporary Families, and it suggests that whether moms are best suited at home or not depends on their preferences and job quality.

Moms that prefer working at home and do so have a low risk of depression. But career-driven moms that go to work also have a low risk of depression. The conclusion is straightforward: Do what your heart tells you.

And don’t underestimate the importance of a decent wage. The study also found moms who did want to work, but were employed in low-quality jobs had a high risk of depression. Moms that didn’t want to work but had a decent wage had a low risk of depression.